Water Rats: episode guide

Domino

There's soul searching all round when Senior Sergeant Lance Rorke dies in a freak accident during a Water Police operation. What was supposed to be a simple surveillance of suspected drug importers, turned into a high-stakes, high-energy shoot out with gun runners. Everyone feels they could have done something to save their friend.

Alex, whose informant led them to the container wharf where the shootout took place, blames herself for pushing for Water Police involvement hoping to get one over the drug squad. Reilly's car broke down on the way to the scene causing him to abandon it and continue on foot, leaving behind his two-way radio. From a distance he could see the impending danger, but without a radio he couldn't warn his colleagues. Quinn who'd had a big night out was caught short by nausea and the vital seconds he took to vomit saw him arrive on the scene too late.

Perhaps the heaviest weight is on Hawker's shoulders. He's the man responsible for everyone and their actions. Keeping the group together as ever is Jack Christey. He mourns a good friend but know they cannot blame themselves for the actions of a scumbag. But all the self-examination doesn't stop.

It Happened One Night (Part One)

Jack goes to the country to interview a potential suspect in a series of yacht bombings and gets a dose of backwater manners. On the outskirts of picturesque Port Bligh he's involved in a car accident with a beautiful woman who turns out to be a cop — Acting Inspector Julia Goodwin — also in Port Bligh on police business. Julia and Christey exchange terse words and insurance details and go their separate ways but it's inevitable their paths will cross again in such a small town. Port Bligh's only police officer, Sergeant Bock, is not impressed to have two big city cops throwing their weight around his town and proves less than cooperative.

Christey's bombing suspect is a man named Dennis Dugdale, who's been caught on a yacht in Port Bligh harbour with explosives and a timer. Sergeant Bock is determined to deal with Dugdale on local turf so he can improve his town's crime figures. Bock has no intention of letting Christey or Julia talk to Dugdale and risk them taking him back to Sydney, depriving him of a collar. Bock throws up obstacle after obstacle for the visiting detectives who, despite their best efforts to remain aloof from each other, form a united front against the surly country cop. That night at a local restaurant, Christey and Julia discover they are more similar than they'd care to admit. After a couple of bottles of cheap house wine, they decide to make the best of a bad day, and end up in Julia's hotel room.

Meanwhile in Sydney, Alex and Reilly question Dugdale's wife and a rich scuba-diving widow in an attempt to solve the mystery of the exploding yachts. The morning after in Port Bligh leaves Julia and Christey wondering if they're in love or lust as they continue to wear down the intractable Sergeant Bock.

When yet another yacht explodes on Sydney harbour, it becomes obvious Dennis Dugdale could not be responsible as he's sitting in a Port Bligh prison cell. Christey's left wondering if Dennis Dugdale really is the bomber he's looking for. And when Julia casually slips out of Port Bligh, Christey ponders if he's lost his heart to the mysterious detective.

High Roller (Part Two)

Episode 6.03 (154)
February 20, 2001
Written by David Phillips
Directed by Robert Klenner

When the body of a young woman is found in Sydney Harbour, Inspector Julia Goodwin finally has the evidence to support her theory that a serial killer is operating in the country. Julia, a criminal profiler, has been tracing what she believes to be murders across the country committed by the same man… now she has irrefutable proof. When Julia informs the media that there is a serial killer active in Sydney, she is under the presumptive belief that she will be appointed head of a Homicide task force. Instead, she is assigned to the Water Police to investigate the most recent murder.

While Christey and the rest of the Rats are coming to terms with their new "boss", they are bewildered by Sykes' sudden and unexplained resignation. But they only have to wait for the next day's newspaper for an explanation — Sykes' fiancée Eva is the sole witness who can identify the serial killer. Eva witnessed the killer abduct her girlfriend in Darwin 18 months previously but with no body found and no one arrested for the abduction, Eva, fearing the killer, has been moving around the country trying to find safety until finally reaching Sydney and meeting Sykes.

After reading in the paper that the serial killer is in Sydney, Eva wants to run again and finally confides in Sykes what has been up to now her secret. With Eva's identity and location now printed in the paper for all to read, the Rats move in to protect her. Julia's firm belief that the killer will come after Eva is strengthened when they find evidence that the killer has been outside Sykes' flat. A switch is organised. Alex and Christey wait in Sykes' flat as Eva is covertly moved to a safe house. As the Rats lay in wait with the trap set, the killer surprises everyone when he abducts Blakemore outside Eva's safehouse. The race is on to find Blakemore before she becomes the next victim.

Shadow Man (Part Three)

With the suspected serial killer and Blakemore's abductor, Luke, now in custody, Julia begins her interrogation. Christey is convinced by Blakemore's recount of her abduction that she was taken by two men, not just one. Julia refuses to entertain the idea that her profile was incorrect, that her serial killer has been working in tandem, and hinders Christey in his attempts to obtain the accomplice's identity from the suspect in the interview room. It is not until they search Luke's abode where they find Polaroids of Luke with the bodies of the victims that Julia believes that there is another killer out there

Meanwhile, Blakemore returns to work prematurely after her abduction, despite protests from all, insisting that she is fine. But clearly Blakemore isn't. She is uncharacteristically testy which culminates in a verbal explosion at Donna. As Eva goes into protective custody, the detectives set about to discover the identity of the second killer. When another murder occurs, this time it is one of the uniformed police officers assigned to protect Eva. Christey and Julia now realise that with Luke in custody, this second killer is a loose cannon.

Alex sees a more compassionate side of Julia after this latest murder and as the rest of the Rats start to question Julia's handling of the investigation, Alex becomes her surprise defender. When the next victim is found, so are more polaroids. But this time the polaroids are candid shots taken of members of the Water Police. The detectives now realise that all the rules of the game have been changed… now they are the targets.

Another Man's Poison

A routine drug bust turns into a mystery-at-sea for the Rats when they discover a blood-splattered yacht under sail but with no sign of its crew. Christey and Alex quickly track down one of the co-owners of the yacht and discover she is a high profile-criminal lawyer. Nerida Hammond says her ex-husband has borrowed the yacht to have an evening cruise with his current wife and young daughter. However, the party of three have not returned home. Nerida's ex-husband, Dr. Terrence Fisher, is a well-known environmentalist and scientist.

Alex and Christey are very suspicious when Dr. Fisher reappears at his ex-wife's home saying he and his family were hijacked by a man calling himself Gary Walden who wanted Dr. Fisher to join him in a spectacular act of eco-terrorism. When Dr. Fisher refused, the man kidnapped the doctor and his young daughter and left Fisher's terrified wife on board the yacht. A quick inquiry into Gary Walden draws a blank for the detectives — Walden is a man who doesn't seem to exist.

When Dr. Fisher's wife is found dead, Alex and Christey theorise the doctor has killed her and his child so he and Nerida can once again be together. The Rats are thrown into confusion when Dr. Fisher's daughter is found alive with a note attached to her. The note is from the mysterious Gary Walden who says he plans to poison Sydney Harbour.

With the little girl's story of the hijacking backing up her father's, the detectives quickly realise they are dealing with a legitimate threat. Gary Walden says his poison of choice will be the deadly Organo Phosphates chemical group, capable of killing anything and anyone it comes into contact with. When the Rats confirm a recent large theft of the poison, a race begins to save Sydney Harbour from environmental disaster.

Odds On

When the Rats go to the greyhounds to celebrate Reilly's birthday, Christey runs into his father, Tom, who's a bookmaker. Christey hasn't spoken to Tom for years, having never forgiven him for mistreating his mother, Judy. When Tom is caught short of money by a long-odds winner and attacked by angry punters, Christey is reluctantly dragged back into his father's orbit. Taking Tom home, Christey sees the meagre circumstances in which his father lives. When a package is delivered to Tom soon after, and Christey catches him flushing the chemical contents away, Christey suspects his dad is up to no good.

The next day, a greyhound is found floating in the harbour and the Rats discover it died of an amphetamine overdose. Christey suspects his father is involved in some kind of doping scam. Christey digs deeper into his father's affairs and discovers Tom is under investigation by ICAC for race fixing. Christey begs his father to come clean but there is still a lot of bad history between father and son. When Tom is taken for a drive by his criminal associates and fails to reappear at home, Christey is left helpless, wondering if his father's ruthless partners have decided to shut the old man up for good

Meanwhile, Sykes and Quinn are led on the chase of their life by a thief in a hovercraft, which proves even the mighty Nemesis is fallible when it comes to chases over water and land. When the Harpy is bought in to join the hunt for the hovercraft, the wily thief turns the tables on Woods and snatches the boat from under her nose. Reilly joins an embarrassed pack of Rats in the search for the missing police boat and theorises the thief may be a tourist, as he seems to have a penchant for touring Sydney's sights.

Mates Rates

Donna's honeymoon period of living with Quinn is wearing thin. Quinn is constantly borrowing money from the household kitty and then pushes his luck even further when he asks Donna if his ex-partner from Perth, Steve Ferguson, can stay for a few days. Quinn doesn't hesitate to take up an offer to cover for Steve on a few nightshifts as a security guard, to top up his depleted cash supplies. Donna gets literally bowled over after interrupting an intruder who has beaten up Steve in her house. When she and Woods find a small stash of cocaine in Steve's backpack, Donna starts to suspect there is more to Steve than just a pretty face. Quinn first refuses to believe that Steve could be involved in anything suspicious until the Drug Squad raid the container warehouse that Steve patrols. Quinn realises that loyalty to his mate may have compromised his own position as a police officer

Christey is annoyed when Matthew Quinn mistakenly shoots him during a simulated hostage training exercise, thereby failing his CAS competency tests. Christey dismisses the tests as a load of bull, saying that it's experience in the real world that counts while on the job

Alex and Christey investigate a case of a terminally-ill man who jumped to his death. Christey easily accepts the cause of death as suicide as he understands how someone with a debilitating disease would want to die, but Alex is troubled by the incident. She is perplexed by how an indisposed man could have physically executed such a jump and despite Christey's reluctance, she pursues the case until she finds out more than she wants to know

Christey enjoys a mild flirtation with a woman from Drug Trafficking, much to Alex's simultaneous irritation and amusement.

The Hungry Bear Blues

A day in the life of Helen Blakemore. Blakemore has applied for a job as security manager for an American bank in Chicago. With this exciting prospect virtually in the bag, Blakemore arrives at work to a Water Police station in chaos as a bomb threat evacuation is currently underway. Blakemore decides that the station will have to learn to cope without her, and that today is the day that everyone has a lesson to learn.

The Thin Edge (Part One)

Episode 6.09 (160)
April 10, 2001
Written by Deborah Parsons
Directed by Robert Klenner

Michael Reilly crosses the line when his sister Jess asks him to help her husband Danny beat a criminal charge that could send him to prison and leave her to fend for herself and her young child. Reilly enlists the help of his old academy buddy Agi, asking him to "see what he can do" for Danny. Unfortunately this sparks suspicion on the part of Danny's criminal associates who think Danny's turned informant to avoid prison. When Danny is shot dead, Reilly realises by helping his brother-in-law to avoid jail time, he signed the man's death warrant.

The Player (Part Two)

Episode 6.10 (161)
April 17, 2001
Written by Peter Neale
Directed by Robert Klenner

Reilly is left reeling in the wake of his brother-in-law Danny's murder and the devastation it causes his sister Jess and her son Max. Reilly becomes obsessed with bringing the killer to justice but to do so, he must rely on his old police buddy Agi, whose unethical methods may compromise the case. Agi's actions will take Reilly to the very edge of his beliefs — and leave him with an awful decision. He must choose between his ethics, his career and his family's peace of mind.

A woman is critically injured after a boating accident on the harbour and Alex and Jack find themselves searching for possible suspects in an attempted homicide when it is discovered the woman had been shot in the head.

A new Appointments Officer begins work at the station creating some awkward moments for Hawker who knows her from a previous social encounter.

Broken English

Yachts at a marina are sprayed with homophobic graffiti and the Nemesis investigates. When it is realised that one of the yachts targeted belongs to Chief Inspector Hawker, Christey and Reilly are called in. A suspect is arrested; Kevin O'Shea — a sleazy, small-time drug dealer. Christey and Reilly obtain a warrant to search O'Shea's house, finding incriminating evidence and a quantity of illegal drugs. When the warrant proves to be invalid, the Water Police have to let O'Shea walk. Hawker takes the Detectives to task over having to let such a sleazebag go free. An exchange that unfortunately is witnessed by O'Shea himself. He tells Hawker that it's about time someone got him off his "high horse" and showed him that he is no better than anyone else. And O'Shea decides that he is the man to do it — using Hawker's strained relationship with his son to make his point.

Line Of Duty

Episode 6.12 (163)
May 01, 2001
Written by David Phillips
Directed by Mark Piper

Sophie begins the Second Trimester of her police training on Attachment to the Water Police. Her arrival indirectly triggers two sequences of events. When a practical joker is arrested at a student demonstration and goes berserk in the Interview Room, a cache of money is found hidden behind the wall. Investigating its origin, Christey finds himself unearthing facts which may blacken the name of a dead police hero, the legendary Harry Kinson. Meanwhile, Donna is sent to bring Sophie back from the scene of the demo and spots a man she recognises, but can't place. Too late, she realises that he is a convicted killer who has been on the run for years. Donna is taken hostage. Only her wits and her training stand between her and death.

True Blue

Episode 6.13 (164)
May 08, 2001
Written by Peter Gawler
Directed by

The Rats are shaken when they hear the news of the sudden death of a former colleague. A wake is hastily organised in the Cutter Bar. As the alcohol flows, so do the stories. One by one, their fears, secrets and true feelings are revealed. Donna confronts Quinn over their one night stand — is that all it was ever going to be? Reilly teaches Quinn a lesson on relationships. It's Alex's 29th birthday and she mourns her rapidly departing youth. Gavin Sykes, refusing to listen to any bad stories about the deceased, cops a punch in the jaw from Emma who reveals that she has been the victim of sexual harassment in the workplace. Jack is lost in a wave of fear of his own mortality until Sophie enters with news that distracts him from his self-absorption. Blakemore, as always, keeps her feet, and everyone else's, on the ground Meanwhile, Hawker and Sgt Simmons unravel the mystery behind an old man's rambling tale about the death of a woman at the hand of another man.

Note: the song Gavin sings in tribute to Dave is "True Blue", written by John Williamson

Strike Out

Episode 6.14 (165)
May 15, 2001
Written by John Banas
Directed by Ray Quint

Sophie is given a brutal introduction to the realities of police work when she's first on the scene of a hit-and-run jetski accident that results in a young waterskier dying in her arms. Unwilling to show what she thinks are signs of weakness, Sophie pretends to be unaffected by the girl's death and avoids Jack's attempts to discuss the matter. Alex too, is moved by the girl's death, causing disturbing memories to resurface for her, as she and her mother were once the victims of a hit-and-run driver. Alex's eventual capture of the jetskier responsible will put a new perspective on the guilt she has been carrying over the accident.

The Devil You Know

Episode 6.15 (166)
May 22, 2001
Written by John Banas
Directed by Lewis Fitz-Gerald

Alex's day starts badly when she answers a knock at her front door; to discover someone has left a breakfast tray for two, anonymously. This is the latest in a series of mysterious presents that Alex has been receiving over the last few weeks. Christey and Reilly are tasked to identify the secret admirer, while Alex's mum moves in to look after her sick and stressed daughter. They retreat to an isolated holiday house only to be met by Alex's obsessed admirer, face-to-face.

The Marrying Kind

The divers find a wetsuit weighted and dumped in the harbour. The custom-made suit is identified as belonging to a woman who went missing while windsurfing off an ocean beach several years ago. No trace of the woman was ever found and at the time she was believe to be the victim of a shark attack. Her husband is at a loss to explain how the wetsuit his wife was supposedly wearing when she disappeared ended up wired around a brick in the harbour. The detectives' suspicions are further raised when they meet the husband's new fiancée, who at the time of his wife's disappearance, provided him with an alibi. On the eve of Gavin Sykes' wedding, the rest of the Rats admit to their true feelings… one is dumped, one is given an ultimatum and one is kissed.

Bitter Legacy

Episode 6.17 (168)
June 05, 2001
Written by Brian Campbell
Directed by Robert Klenner

When the Nemesis responds to a report of gunshots being fired, Sykes and Quinn come across two teenage boys who have been injured, one fatally, after the gun they were playing with exploded in their hands. The gun is found to be one of several stolen from an army base a year ago, but as the Detectives soon learn, the principle suspect in that theft is now dead and as a result cannot be the one now distributing the weapons. When a second incident of an exploding gun claims two more victims, Alex and Mick must race to find the culprit, and the remaining guns, before more people are injured. Meanwhile, Woods is given the task of recovering an engagement ring from the bottom of the harbour and Sophie learns a valuable lesson about dealing with people who live outside of her comfort zone.

Robbo's Ghost

Episode 6.18 (169)
June 12, 2001
Written by John O'Brien
Directed by Robert Klenner

Harry, an old fishing buddy of Alex's, appeals to her to find out what happened to his missing son-in-law, Robbo. Harry claims he has seen Robbo's ghost and is convinced that he's been murdered by his business partner. The official explanation for Robbo's disappearance is that he ran off with a tourist backpacker, leaving behind a devastated wife. Mick Reilly is as fascinated by the revelation that Alex fishes, as he is by the report of a ghost, and he inquires about what exactly the ghost was doing. Alex and Reilly follow up on the ghost's directions and find his watch, but does this mean he's really dead? Meanwhile, Sykes and Quinn's search for the owner of a severed finger leads them to a fingerless man who denies ownership of the digit, perhaps because he is also a suspect in the armed robbery reported by a sword-wielding shop owner.

Red Ice

The Rats are confronted with a Cold War in sunny Drummoyne. It involves a love triangle of Russian immigrants. Plucky Fred Pearson is gushing blood from a leg wound after a shooting on a harbour wharf but, when the Nemesis arrives on the scene, strangely, Fred denies he's even been shot. The detectives are brought in to question him over his gunshot amnesia and they meet his stunning Russian wife, Tatiana, and her handsome "cousin" from Moscow, Ivan. Fred claims he didn't know he'd been shot because he was in shock, which is also why he can't remember what his attacker looked like. Christey and Alex, suspicious, speculating that Fred is afraid to reveal the identity of his attacker. The pieces begin to fall into place when Ballistics confirm he was shot by a rare Russian pistol. A man with a Russian wife is shot with a Russian gun and he denies being wounded? The Ds know they're onto something

Meanwhile, Christey's daughter, Sophie, is still on her Water Police attachment and eager for action. When she discovers the ringbarking of a stand of trees blocking harbour views, she decides to do some investigating. Enlisting the help of an amorous Matthew Quinn, she sets up some after-hours surveillance to try and snare the villain

Back in Drummoyne, the D's are still unable to get Fred to cooperate. That is until a search of his house turns up photos of Tatiana and Ivan which give new meaning to the term "kissing cousins". The D's think they have cracked the reason for Fred's shooting — Ivan's a jealous lover trying to remove Fred from the equation. That's when a Russian mobster turns up with a tale of missing Siberian diamonds and things start to get really interesting.

Family Matters

Jack Christey and Alex investigate the death of a youth whose body is found hanging by abseiling ropes from a cliff. He's been shot. When the Detectives talk to the victim's best friend, Danny McKew, they get nowhere fast. The case is further complicated for Jack because his daughter, Sophie, is on attachment to DOCS and Danny is her client. After Jack finds a connection between the murder and several burglaries in the area, he asks Sophie to do a little digging with Danny. Sophie is annoyed that he's trying to use her. Christey's trail leads him independently to charismatic but unlikable Jonathan Freeman. Later, a mysterious benefactor makes sure Christey receives an incriminating videotape showing Freeman playing Russian Roulette with the murder victim. Freeman insists the game was a "bonding exercise". After a raid on Freeman's house proves inconclusive, Danny confides to Sophie that he and the murder victim were doing some robberies for Freeman — getting access to the properties by abseiling. Before Sophie can decide what to do with this information, Danny takes matters into his own hands. Christey manages to resolve the situation in his usual resourceful manner — but cannot do the same for his relationship with Sophie. Feeling used by her father, she moves out of his house. Meanwhile Sykes and Quinn intercept an old man, Albert Hoyle, who's trying to get to New Zealand in a dilapidated, unseaworthy boat — determined to flout boating regulations and, possibly, escaping from some dark deed.

Jackpot

The recovery of a poker machine from the harbour leads Detectives St Clare and Reilly into a murder investigation when an old pair of police handcuffs are found attached to the poker machine, which was presumably used to weigh down a body. In the course of their investigation, Mick and Alex come across Kelvin Hastings, a retired cop who is seeking redemption after enduring years of humiliation and a series of life-changing events after having lost his handcuffs as a rookie officer.

Meanwhile, Hawker's book on the history of the Sydney Water Police is published as he marks 25 years in the police service. Sophie has doubts about the cause of an amateur athlete's death when an autopsy reveals steroids in his system.

The Long Run (Part One)

Episode 6.22 (173)
July 10, 2001
Written by Sam De Brito
Directed by Nick Cole

In the aftermath of an armed robbery and the brutal execution of three security guards, Detectives Reilly and St Clare pursue a suspect nicknamed "Leadlegs" through the streets of Sydney, coming close to catching him several times but always remaining one step behind.

Meanwhile, Sykes struggles with the burden of relaying the dying message of one of the murdered guards and Hawker leaves to visit Vanessa in Newcastle.

Bureaucracy Rules, OK? (Part Two)

Episode 6.23 (174)
July 17, 2001
Written by Graeme Koetsveld
Directed by Robert Klenner

Jeff reevaluates his life's accomplishments after he is recovered from his wrecked car and brought to hospital. Faced with six months off while he recovers, Jeff considers giving up his job.

Jack returns from an out-of-town assignment and is given a break from the streets when he is promoted to Acting Chief Inspector, a move which doesn't please Blakemore who had her eye on the job as she regularly filled in for Jeff and knew the position. Only adding to her frustrations are Jack's continual requests for help.

The divers recover the body of a four-year-old boy from the harbour but Alex and Mick's investigation into the boy's death from leukemia is hampered by a bureaucratic oversight that leads them to make an accusation to the parents that has life-threatening consequences. Detective George Newhouse begins work with the Water Police.

The Removalist

Episode 6.24 (175)
July 24, 2001
Written by Peter Neale
Directed by Robert Klenner

A series of safe thefts have the detectives searching for a suspect who likes to leave behind poetic IOUs at the scene of his crimes, an MO reminiscent of another thief who has since died. When a suspect is caught, he confesses to two robberies but has an alibi for a violent third robbery that has left a security guard in hospital. As the detectives work to identify the second thief, Mick finds himself in a difficult situation when he is implicated by their suspect and is set up by a colleague.

Meanwhile, Jeff's decision to retire has unintended consequences for his personal life when Vanessa returns to Sydney to break up with him.

Detective Newhouse gives the female officers, who have dubbed him "Gorgeous George", a new reason to arrive early for work.

And The Winner Is… (Part One)

Episode 6.25 (175)
July 31, 2001
Written by John Banas
Directed by Geoff Bennett

Investigating the murder of a woman by a sniper, the Water Police discover her death to be the result of mistaken identity and quickly find themseves in the midst of an ongoing war between two crime bosses. As the paybacks escalate, the protection of the Rat's lone witness becomes all the more urgent but mistakes are made and when the dust clears after a hail of gunfire, two officers are down.

Cats And Pigeons (Part Two)

Acting Commander Jack Christey has to accept the responsibility for an operation going wrong, resulting in the death of an informant and leaving two of his officers in hospital, one critically injured. Jack is determined to find out who the shooter was and sets the cat among the pigeons, hoping someone will crack and give him the answers that he needs.

Jack cracks down hard on the business dealings of crime bosses Clive Tyler and Tony Akoustanis but when suspicions fall upon a fellow police officer, it is the last straw for Jack and he sets out to settle the score, a task that once again shakes the very foundations of the Water Police.